Fewer cruise passengers visiting Gozo in the third quarter

6,819 cruise passengers visited Gozo during the third quarter, this was down by 647 or 8.6% on the same period last year, the National Statistics Office said today.

Total cruise passenger traffic in Malta and Gozo, amounted to 188,943, a decrease of 11.9% over the same quarter in 2017.

95 cruise liners called in this period, which was four less than the previous year. At 80.0% transit passengers accounted for the absolute majority of total traffic, reaching 151,204.

The NSO noted that 11,949 passengers spent at least one night on board their berthed cruise liner. Every vessel that berthed in Malta on average carried 1,989 passengers, this was 178 less than the previous year, the NSO said.

66.8% of total passengers were from EU Member States, the major markets being the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain.

While the total number of passengers from Non-EU countries stood at 62,640, of whom 43.7%came from the United States.

Female passengers made up 52.1% of the total. The largest share of passengers fell within the 40-59 age bracket and were followed by those aged between 60 and 79.

441,547 cruise passengers arrived in January to September, the NSO said that this was a drop of 8.6% on last year. Of these, 67.0% were from EU Member States.

The NSO said that female passengers numbered 234,933 and were in the majority. Most passengers were between 60 and 79-years old, amounting to 168,830. These were followed by passengers aged 40-59, reaching 142,844.

215 cruise liner called during the first nine months of this year, with an average 2,054 passengers per vessel, compared to 248 calls and an average 1,947 passengers per vessel in the same period last year.